The present invention relates to double-cone devices according to claim 1, particularly of the type disclosed in WO-A-87/01770. It further relates to installations comprising double-cone devices.
Double-cone devices are described in the WO-A-87/01770 whose content is incorporated in this description by reference. The double-cone device, amongst other things, allows one to upgrade the available pumping pressure of a modest conventional pump. When incorporated in a compressor loop, such as proposed in the aforementioned patent, numerous novel possibilities become evident.
The double-cone device essentially consists of two cones which are connected by their ends of small diameter. At the interface, i. e. interspersed between entry cone and exit cone, an orifice is provided. In the region of the orifice, the double-cone device, if penetrated by a fluid, builds up a surprisingly low pressure which allows another fluid to be drawn into the device with high efficiency. When included in a closed loop with a pump, the pressure in this loop can be increased in that the double-cone unit sucks in fluid until an equilibrium is attained. The term fluid refers to both liquids and gases.
The double-cone device is characterized by the angles xcex81 and xcex82 of the conicity of the entry resp. the exit cone:
F=(1+sin xcex81)2*sin2 xcex82
The quality function F should always be less than 0.11. The ranges are detailed hereinafter:
In practice, however, the known double-cone devices showed a rather short lifetime.
Therefore, one object of the present invention consists in providing a double-cone device of increased lifetime.
Another object of the present invention is to provide new applications of the double-cone device, particularly the one fulfilling the first mentioned object.
A double-cone device complying with at least one of these objects is given in claim 1. The further claims indicate preferred embodiments and uses satisfying even the second object.